Tether ball



Dec. 16, 1958 C. J. CROWLEY` ETAL TETHER BALL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26. 1956 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS c. J. lCROWLEY ET AL 2,864,617

Dec. 16, 1958 TETHER BALL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1956 /lll INVENT OR ATTORNEYS Dec. 16, 1958 c'. J. CROWLEY l-:T AL

TETHER BALL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 26, 1956 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS United StatesN Patent O TETHER BALL Cornelius I. Crowley, New Haven, and Joseph C. Berlepsch, Jr., Orange, Conn., assignors to The Seamless vRubber Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 26, 1956, Serial No. 573,775

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-58) This invention relates to tether balls, in other words balls used in playing the game of tether ball or for other purposes where the ball is limited in its movement by an attached tethering member.

The inventionl is particularly useful where the tethered ball has an intlatable body or carcass, the wall of which comprises an inner bladder and an outer cover layer of rubber.

In some previous tether ball structures metallic inserts in the wall of the ball have been employed for the purpose of fastening the suspending cord. Such inserts are objectionable for the reason that they may cause injury to those playing the game of tether ball or to persons using such a ball for other purposes. In the present case this objection is overcome while, at the same time, the connection between the ball and the suspending element is very strong and long lived.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tether ball structure in which a cord of a length suitable for suspending and limiting the swing of the ball is extended continuously and directly into the cross section of a cornposite resilient ball wall and there anchored and secured in a manner to resist effectively strain tending to separate the ball from the cord.

Another object is to provide a structure of this nature in which a suspending cord of great tensile strength can be directly secured to the ball in a manner to provide a superior article of this type.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a tether ball embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on a scale larger than actual size showing that part of the ball to which the suspending cord is secured; v

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an assembly of parts to be :anchored in the ball wall;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the assembly of Fig. 3 with a portion of the lower rubber patch broken away;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the wall showing :a step in' the assembly process;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a later stage;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of an alternate assembly of parts which may be used;

Fig. 8 is a bottom view partly broken away of the assembly shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a partial sectional view of the ball wall showing the latter after the completion of the ball;

Fig. l0 is an interior face view of a portion of another form of the ball; and

Fig. 1l is an enlarged section on line 11-11 of Fig. l0.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the ball is a tether ball having a body similar to that of a volley ball and having anchored in its composite wall a suspending or attaching cord of suitable length for movably mounting the ball in the desired location. This cord at one end extends into l 2,864,617' Patented Dec. 116, 1958 2 the wall of the ball and is there anchored between plies of the wall of a exible base member formed partlyfof textile material, to which base member are firmly secured integral iilamentary extensions of the cord which are disposed laterally and splayed out in a considerable number or directions from the main cord body. In this form, the composite wall of the ball comprises an inner rubber bladder, an intermediate layer of bouncy rubber reinforced by a thread winding and an outer cover layer of abrasion-resistant rubber. In this form also, the attaching base for the cord, which base is in the form of a disk, is anchored in place between the intermediate rubber layer and the outer layer of rubber; and in making the ball, the wall, with the cord base placed therein, is processed in a mold. In the ball as completed, the outer rubber layer in the part around the protruding cord is continuous and uniform,y and merges into a smooth rubber sleeve that closely surrounds a portion of the cord body.

In the drawings, the completed ball is shown in Fig. 1, the same having a spherical body 10 with an outer surface of rubber that may be grooved, if desired, as shown in Fig. l. The attaching cord is shown at 11. At 12 in Fig. 2 is shown the inating valve.

4The bladder is shown at 13, the outer rubber cover layer at 14 and the cushioning layer of soft, bouncy rubber at 15, this intermediate layer being preferably reinforced by a thread winding, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.r The tilamentary lateral extensions from the cord 11 of stranded fibrous material, such as nylon, are indicated at 16' and a textile anchoring base member overlying these extensions is indicated at 17. The extensions 16 are secured in place by the textile member 17 and a lower disk of rubber indicated at 18. Extending outwardly from the ball around a small portion of the attaching cord is a sleeve-like portion 19 of rubber, this sleeve-like portion in the completed ball being merged into a surrounding disk-like portion of rubber 20 which in'turn merges into the main part of the rubber cover layer 14; but for purposes of explanation the hatching of Fig. 2 shows certain rubber parts, such as the disklike rubber portion 20 and the rubber disk part 18 as separate parts rather than as merged or autogenously connected parts. p

Figs. 3 and 4 show the assembly consisting of the cord and its anchoring kbase that is interposed between the plies of the ball wall. The cord is one consisting of a number of strands that are intertwisted, and at the end which is to be attached to the base it is frayed to form the extensions 16 which are of substantial length. The body of the cord extends through a hole in the base member 17 which is a textile member or friction patch that in this form comprises two 1 adhesively interconnected woven disks with the threads of one biased relatively to those of the other. Below this disk the lamentary extensions are splayed out laterally, and, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, they preferably extend outwardly to the edge of the textile disk. The disk 18 of rubber is applied over these extensions and the textile material, as shown in Fig. 4. Another textile disk or friction patch 21 with a central hole surrounds the cord and is laid against and adhered to the upper face of the member 17. The patch 21 is considerably smaller than patch 17. The base patch or disk 17 has a small notch 22 at one point in its periphery, andithis is engaged with the valve plug of lthe inflating valve 12 (carried by the bladder) for the purpose of locating the base member relatively to the valve in the process of assembly. The valve is preferably of the kind shown in De Laney and Madsen Patent No. 2,065,121. As will' be observed from Fig. 3, the lower rubber disk 18 is conformed to the structure facing its upper surface so that each of the lamentary cord extensions is Aheld in place by being received in a groove or valley 23 of the lower rubber disk or facing.

In making the ball, .the bladder 13 may be constructed in the usual way and partly cured, and is equipped with the inflating valve 12. The next step is to inflate the bladder and apply to it a thread winding, indicated at 24.in Fig. 4. The next step is to apply over the winding therintermediate rubber layer 15, which at this stage is uncured, and then to apply the covering layer 14, which atthis stage is uncured. With the ball or biscuit at this stage, the covering layer 14 is opened for introduction of the cord base between it and the intermediate rubber. This may be done by forming a slit in the outer rubber layer and stretching the outer layer in. this region so as to open it up. This permits the base structure for the cord to be introduced and applied to the layer of intermediate rubber, and a suitable `notched part 26 in the slittedv part enables the extended part of the outer layer to be conformed tothe cord as such extended part is pressed over` and conformed to the base in a position such as shown in Fig. 6. The next step is to apply to the rubber Aouter layer around the cord a disk 20 of uncured rubber which `will eventually form the rubber part 20 appearing in Fig. 2. Around the cord and above this disk is applied a covering 27 of uncured rubber which will eventually form the sleeve part 19, previously mentioned. For fitting the disk 20B about the cord, said disk may be slitted radially. The part 27 of uncured rubber may consist of overlapping layers of a rubber strip laid around the cord, as indicated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 shows the arrangement of the parts when the biscuittis ready for molding and vulcanization in a heated mold. After placing the biscuit in the mold, the biscuit is further inflated by admitting air through the valve 12, and the effect of this pressure will be to mold the article into the form shown in Fig. 2, strongly binding together the parts adjacent the cord-anchoring base and condensing the wall in this region without greatly increasing the thickness of this part of the Wall. It will also be noted that the parts securing the cord to the ball wall are of notable lightness as well as strength.

The inflation valve is not shown in Figs. 5 and 6, but it is shown in Fig. 2 and it will be understood that it is of advantage in the process of assembly to have the notch 22 of the anchoring base placed against the valve to conform thereto as this enables the operator, inserting the base into the wall structure, to place it in its proper location in a convenient manner.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is shown a modified form of the structure in which the cord element attached to the base is shaped to provide a suspending eye or loop 28 that projects from the ball. In this case the filamentary extensions on the cord, indicated at 29, are similar to those mentioned above, but series of such extensions are provided at the respective ends of the loop legs which ends are located side by side and abutted against each other, as shownin Figs. 7 and 9. Here the character of the stranded cord is so chosen that the total number of tilimentary extensions `may beslightly greater than in the form first described. All of these extensions are arranged in a single group, as shown in Fig. 8. Above the textile member or friction patch 17BL is placed a similar, but smaller, friction patch 17b (Fig. 7). The process of applying this form of subassembly to the ball is substantially as above described. Here, in the completed ball, the rubber cover may have aA slight upward extension or co1- lar 30 `molded about the loop or eye, as shown in Fig. 9.

. In the ball structure shown in Figs. l0 and 1l, the ball is one fin which the body for the greater part consists of a single `layer of molded rubber, there being `no bladder. The Vtethering means for the ball comprises a suspending eye or loop 31 similar to the eye or loop 28. The rubber wall or body layer32 has an outstanding one-piece coller 33 surrounding the base portion of the loop, as in the form last described, and this collar can be provided by placing` a `sleeve of uncured rubber around the cord previous to nal molding, as described above. In this form F Figs. 101and1l,a friction patch 34 is placed directly against the inner surface of the rubber wall 32 and the looped cord portion is extended through an aperture 3S in the patch and has splayed portions 36 extended over the inner face of the patch as in the two forms first described. The friction patch 34 is in the form of a disk cut away or scalloped at one side, as shown at 37, this side 37 being disposed toward the inflating valve 38. The friction patch 34 is covered over at the interior face of the ball by a layer 39 of rubber which is molded so as to be in one piece with the ball wall. The shape of the rubber layer or piece 39 is as shown in Fig. l0, the same being in the form of a teardrop. The valve 38 passes through the reduced end of this sheet-like member and through the wall 32. A small friction patch 40 is between the body portion 41 of the valve and its attaching flange 42 on the one hand, and the wall 32 on the other hand. The wall 32 has a perforation 43 giving access to the plug 44 of the valve.

Fig. 11 `shows the rubber parts 32 and 39 and certain other parts as separate parts which in the completed ball are flowed together and coalesced.

It will be noted that a portion of the rubber member 39 is applied over the flange of the valvebody and another portion is applied over the splayed out terminals of the cord. As shown in Figs. 10 and l1, the periphery of the member 39 lies at against and is adhered to the inner surface of wall 32. Between the base structure of the cord and the attaching ange portion of the valve a part of member or piece 39 lies directly against and is adhered to the wall 32, as indicated at 45. A small rubber disk or patch 39a is applied to the part 39 so as to reinforce the base approximately centrally of the group of lilamentary extensions.

In the forms previously described, the inating valve 12 is of the same form as that shown in Figs. l0 and l1 and in these first forms the flanged body of the valve is interposed between the bladder and the intermediate rubber layer. In the form now being discussed, the valve body is attached to the rubber piece 39 and to the ball wall 32. Instead of having a bladder act as a mount for the valve, the piece 39 serves as a mount. In the presently discussed form, as in the previous forms, the structure provides for the placing of the cord element at a predetermined lateral spacing from the inflating valve. In making the form shown in Figs. l0 and ll, the looped cord structure is assembled with its friction patch 34, the inating valve is assembled with its friction patch 40, the rubber piece 39 is apertured at 46 to receive and does receive the body of the inilating valve, and the looped cord with its frictionjpatch is` connected to the rubberpiece 39 at a predetermined distance'from the valve. Or, if desired, the assembly of the looped cord and its friction patch may be attached to .therubber piece 39 and the valve with its friction` patch attached to the piece 39 at a predetermined lateral distance'from the cord.

The term rubber as used herein is employed in a broad sense, so as to cover synthetic rubber and other rubberlike and/ or plastic material.

The illustrated ball structure is by way of example only, and various changes can be made in the details of the structure and in the process of assembly without dcparting from the principles of the invention and the scope of the claims.

What We claim is:

l. A ball such as described, having a molded rubber cover, an inner bladder, an intermediate layer of rubber between the cover and the bladder, a base piece of textile material applied to the outer surface of said intermediate rubber layer and located between said layer and said cover, a tethering element consisting of a `cord of stranded brous material outside of the cover of the ball, said cord having at one end thereof splayed iilamentary .extensions projecting outwardly in all directions from said cord and anchored between said `base piece and said intermediate layer,l a disk fused to the outer surface of the cover and a collar joined with and upstanding from said disk, said collar surrounding a short length of the cord outside said cover, said collar being in snug-tting relationship with said length of cord.

2. The method of making a tether ball, which method comprises providing an inflatable rubber bladder having an inating valve, inilating the bladder and then enclosing it in a surrounding layer of uncured rubber, applying over said layer a second layer of uncured rubber which is to form the youter cover of the ball, opening up a portion of said second rubber layer by slitting the same and separating and stretching outwardly the portions adjacent the slit, inserting through the slitted portion an assembly comprising a cord portion and a flexible base therefor and placing said base against said first rubber layer with the `cord portion projecting outwardly from said layer, closing in the slitted portion of said second layer so that it extends over and conforms to said base, placing a disk of uncured rubber and a collar of uncured rubber about said cord portion, the ybottom face of the disk overlying the portion of the cover surrounding the cord portion, the collar upstanding from the disk and surrounding the cord portion, and then molding and vulcanizing the assembly, thereby fusing the collar and disk to the outer cover of the ball.

3. In an inflatable ball such as described, a rubber wall providing the exterior surface of the ball and having an aperture therein, an inilating valve having a body or housing interiorly of said wall in a location laterally of 5 s said aperture and provided interiorly with a valve plug accessible in a hole in the ball wall, a friction patch in the form of a disk cut away at one side to provide a portion facing toward said valve housing, said friction patch being apertured and adhesively applied to the inner` face of said wall so that its aperture is in line with said iirst aperture, said friction patch having an extended portion surrounding the plug of said valve, a tethen'ng element comprising a stranded cord having a body extended to the interior of the ball through said rst aperture and having integral splayed extensions within said wall, and a layer of rubber interiorly of said wall molded so as to be in one piece with the ball wall and extended laterally over said splayed extensions of said cord so as to hold them in place and also extending over said valve housing at the peripheral part of the latter so as to secure said housing to the ball Wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES vPATENTS 2,081,059 Mitchell May 18, 1937 2,323,629 Spanel July 6, 1943 2,549,197 Hayes Apr. 17, 1951 l 2,687,303 Henderson Aug. 24, 1954 2,700,545 Axton Jan. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 330,098 Great Britain June 5, 1930 680,431 France Jan. 18, 1930 

